


Growth of Evil

by octoexpansion



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Hedgehog, Belly Kink, Belly Rubs, Feeding Kink, First Dates, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Gotta Burn Fast, Hand Feeding, M/M, Mutual Pining, PWP without Porn, Robotnik Gets Fat Finally Damn You Paramount Why'd You Make Him A Twink, Sexual Tension, Some Plot, Stone Goes On A Deviantart Deep-Dive, Stuffing, They Don't Actually Have Sex Though, Weight Gain, slightly out of character i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:28:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24550831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/octoexpansion/pseuds/octoexpansion
Summary: previously 'i cant think of a clever title. stobotnik feedism fic' but i finally thought of a clever title yahoo!stone realizes he's maybe enjoying watching the doctor eat a little more than he should be.
Relationships: Dr. Eggman | Dr. Robotnik/Agent Stone
Comments: 21
Kudos: 147





	1. This Probably Isn't Normal

Robotnik squinted disapprovingly at his own reflection, tugging at the bottom of his shirt and prodding at the gaps between its buttons.

“Stone, call my tailor and make an appointment for this Thursday.”

Briefly glancing up from his stacks of papers, Agent Stone nodded sharply and jotted down a note on a piece of scrap off to the side. 

“Yes, doctor. Time and purpose?” Robotnik sighed, nervously flicking a strand of hair from out of his line of sight.

“Anytime after noon. I... Need the seams of my tops let out.”

Stone’s heart skipped so many consecutive beats that, for a solid second, he would’ve registered as dead on a heart monitor. He drew in an involuntary gasp, eyes darting between the doctor and the sticky note before him.

“...10-4.” He wrote down the instructions and attempted to refocus on his paperwork.

This was a textbook example of one of the memories Stone had simultaneously pushed to the very back of his mind, yet thought about on a regular basis. Quietly tapping away at his keyboard in an attempt to look busy, Stone peered over the top of his computer monitor at his boss on lunch break who sat across from him. He found it comically difficult to ignore the ordinary event unfolding before him. The agent continued to stare transfixed at Robotnik shoveling cold, unseasoned noodles into his mouth.

For an agonizingly drawn-out second, the doctor glanced up at Stone and caught his gaze, raising an eyebrow.

“...What?” he mumbled through a mouthful of tap-cold spaghetti. Stone’s entire vital system seemed to do a synchronized backflip.

“Ah-,,, Sorry. Lost in thought.” Robotnik swallowed the pasta and wiped his mouth with the back of a gloved hand.

“Well, pull up your GPS and get back to work,” scoffed the doctor, rolling his eyes. Stone refocused his gaze on the spreadsheet filled with legal gibberish on the monitor. This sort of interest had to be a semi-common occurrence, right? He made a mental note to carry out some…  _ Research _ after-hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate it here. i brought up this concept to my lovely s/o and they said they'd actually read a fic about it so here we are! *puts on my clown wig*


	2. Hmm... Inch Resting.

Stone sat cross-legged on his bed, computer resting on a pillow in his lap. He gave the room one more nervous glance over before flipping open the laptop and opening an incognito tab. His fingers hovered over the keyboard as he tried to piece together a string of keywords that could lead him to some semblance of an answer. The agent took a deep, resigned breath, and began to type.

‘aroused when watching someone eat’

‘aroused at someone gaining weight’

‘feeding fetish’

‘do i have a feeding fetish’

Various other colorful search terms, pictures, and videos filled his previous tabs, as Stone clicked between articles and image hosting sites and forums. That certainly explained quite a bit, including the growing tightness in his nether regions upon looking at said colorful pictures and videos… Good to know there’s a whole community of people with the same interest. He circled back to one of the forums, and stared at the home page for a while. He finally made up his mind, and decided to sign up for an account. The agent typed up a basic introduction post, along with one detailing his situation as vaguely as possible while being detailed enough for other users to give him advice, before closing out the tab and snapping the laptop shut. 

Stone sighed, staring off into space. He’d had a crush on his boss for quite a while now, since the day he was first assigned to work with the doctor, but this was a whole new suitcase he’d just unpacked. He slumped deeper into the bed, mind still racing. How would he make a move? Should he even make a move? Should he try to hint at it and see how the doctor responded? 

_ I mean, at least you remembered to go into an incognito tab, _ the agent thought to himself.  _ What he doesn’t know can’t affect him! _

This would later prove to be laughably wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wait people are actually reading this? i thought id get put straight in a cringe comp! good to know we're all degenerates here <3 whatever it takes to please my people. short chapter but i couldnt think of much else to put here. the next onell be fun i promise


	3. Snooping As Usual

“Yes. Uh-huh. Yes, it’s in progress. Yes, it’ll be done by next week. I mean it. No, really, I’ll actually have it done this time. Yep. Okay. Bye.”

Rolling his eyes, Robotnik hung up with a wave of his hand toward the holographic display. Yet another government official asking for facial-recognition software. I mean, a paycheck is a paycheck, but weren’t they aware that he had much more groundbreakingly important projects to be working on? 

_ Paycheck… Wait… It’s the end of the month! I need to pay the internet bill!  _ He pulled up the utility bills for the facility and glanced over the charges.

_ That’s quite an increase in data usage… I’ll have a chat with Stone about switching back to his own network for personal use.  _

He paused, staring at the screen ahead.

_...Can’t hurt to check on what he’s been up to. _

Robotnik tapped on the website history for Stone’s devices, skimming through the most frequented. Discord servers, Buzzfeed quizzes, pictures of snails… Really, what’s with this guy and snails? He has 50 gigabytes of snail pictures just on his laptop!

_...Oh, lovely. Porn sites. Tsk tsk tsk, don’t you read the warning on the incognito tab, Stone? Websites you visit may still be available to your workplace and internet service provider! … Wait. _

He clicked on one of the previously mentioned porn sites, which led him to a forum thread made by a user by the name of pebble_aban82. God, that’s got Stone written all over it. He could at least  _ try _ to cover up his identity.

‘hello! i know im new here but i need some advice :] for some background, i’ve worked under this guy for about 4 years now, and i’d always kinda very much had a thing for him?? but recently its like,,, developed? basically he gained some weight, i think its hot, im probably a feeder(? idk the terminology very well :]), idrk what to do? i wanna make a move but im not sure how… any advice is v welcome :]!’

Robotnik’s face got progressively redder as he continued to read the thread.

_ Ok, so he does have a thing for me. Duly noted. _

That certainly put some perspective into Stone’s odd behaviors. The staring when he eats, the eagerness to give him food, the staring… Now that he thought about it, it was blindingly obvious. That man’s about as slick as asphalt.

...Now what? Robotnik closed the tabs and leaned back in his chair. Well, he’d been looking for a chance to do a behavioral study on his own time. 

_ He is rather endearing when he gets flustered… Disregard that last thought. Outlier, will not be counted. Under no circumstances will I be ‘catching feelings’.  _

This next month or so should be very entertaining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woomp, here it is! for the past few weeks ive just been telling myself 'i GOTTAAA work on the STOBOTNIK FIIIC' and then i dont. but i strapped in and actually did a thing!! all the feedback im getting is so encouraging tbh... like i didnt think this would attract such an audience o///o thanks for the kudos fellas <3 next chapter there'll be actual interaction wahoo!


	4. This Sign Can't Stop Me Because I Can't Read

Drowsily scrolling through pages upon pages of governmental busywork, Stone’s eyes faded in and out of focus. Between the few hours of sleep he’d gotten the night before and the metric ton of completely-unrelated-to-work topics fogging his mind, it was agonizingly difficult to focus on his job. The man once again sitting across from him did no favors for his attention, either. 

12:30 PM.

The very same time as yesterday, and the day before that, and the thousands of days before those that he’d worked for Robotnik. Within seconds of the clock striking noon-thirty, his boss would take off his headset, go to the kitchen, and come back with a cup of instant noodles. Usually chicken flavored, but he’d seen him with miso a few times too. It was currently 12:29. 

_ Any minute now. _

There it is. Robotnik got up with an unnecessarily theatrical roll backwards in his office chair, and went to the kitchen.

12:34.

Longer than usual. After working as his agent for so long, Stone had all but memorized his boss’ schedule, and nearly every other time, he’d returned by 12:32. What gives? Did he have a mishap with the water kettle or something? There were quite a few less-than-flattering words he could use to describe Robotnik, but ‘unpunctual’ wasn’t one of them. He’d never been late for anything, not even his daily cup ramen. Something’s gotta be up…  _ But if I went to check on him, I’d have to explain why I thought to in the first place, therefore revealing that I basically have his entire daily schedule stamped into my prefrontal cortex. And that’d be weird.  _ He reluctantly returned to his work.

12:36.

The distinctly rhythmic clicking of Robotnik’s boots against the linoleum alerted Stone to the long-awaited return of his boss.  _ Ohthankgodhe’sfine.  _ He sauntered back to his desk, setting down the cup of noodles… Wait.

Two cups of noodles?

_ That means it’ll last twice as long! Man, this is like the time I found an unopened pistachio in my suit pocket! _

Grinning like a buffoon inwardly, he once again peered covertly around his monitor and let his mind wander.

_ I swear on my life, I’ve never wanted to hold someone so bad. Guh… I bet he’s a good hugger. I mean, he smells nice, he looks soft, I think a 4-5 hour embrace would be beneficial for both of us. I mean, with the way he acts, he’s clearly deficient in positive attention. If I wasn’t so scared of screwing things up, I’d gladly give it to him! Some sort of sign would be nice. Anything that’ll reassure me I’m not entirely off my rocker for falling head over heels for my boss, of all people, not to mention this recent… Development. _

12:39.

Robotnik had already finished his noodles.

_ That was quick… He already likes to eat. That’s gotta count for something, right? Maybe that’s my sign. _

The doctor stood up from his chair once more, stacking the empty styrofoam cups before picking them up to dispose of. Upon returning from the garbage can a few feet away, he stretched his arms above his head before sitting back down. A triangle of midriff showed between the bottom of his button-up and the waistband of his pants. Stone’s brain promptly short-circuited, his face flushing beet red.

_ Yeah. That’s definitely the sign. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIIIIIIVE  
> writers block is a bitch <3 i had so many ideas but couldn't get them out on paper for the life of me! but I once again sat down at an ungodly hour of the morning and pumped out some sleep-deprived self indulgence. on the bright side, i also developed a bunch more ideas in this little hiatus so hopefully the wait between the next chapters should be shorter :3
> 
> i. genuinely did not expect this to get as much attention as it is? all these kudos and nice comments man... a little shocking to know theres this many people who're interested in the idea. this whole fandom runs on the same braincell. godspeed


	5. Work

Robotnik sat hunched over his computer, tapping away at lightning-speed on the keyboard. A paycheck is a paycheck, but this type of software was child’s play! Did those pentagon imbeciles really need to enlist the best programmer on the face of the earth to throw together their lousy facial-recognition procedure? He took a sip of the now-lukewarm chai latte in a paper to-go cup next to him. 

_I swear, if it weren’t for Stone and my drinks, I’d have gone insane by now…_ _Of course they had to enlist me. There’s absolutely nothing that I’d rather be spending my precious time on, and there’s not a single activity on GOD’S GREEN FUCKING EARTH THAT WOULD BE OF ANY MORE VALUE TO ME-_

“Doctor, I brought your lunch!”

The door to the lab swung open as Stone stepped in with a tray in hand. Two cups of instant noodles and another paper cup (presumably containing a latte) sat atop it. Robotnik’s head popped up over the monitor as he entered.

“What’s with the delivery service?”  
The agent strode toward his desk, blushing softly. He looked almost proud of himself.

“Well, it’s almost 1 PM and you haven’t eaten yet, so I thought I’d bring you something.”

 _Of course he’d be the one to notice that._ Robotnik gestured toward a nearby table, still typing.

“Leave it over there for now, I’m still working.”

Stone deflated slightly.

“Ah, if you don’t want it right now I can put it in the fridge-..” He set the tray down.  
“No, I want this project over with as quickly as possible, and last I checked I only have two hands, which coding requires both of.” Robotnik grabbed the cup next to him and took a sip. As he glanced upward, the agent seemed to have come to some sort of realization, his demeanor brightening once more as he took the fork from the tray.

“Er, well-... Maybe I could help you with that, if you’d like?”  
Robotnik raised an eyebrow. _What’s that supposed to mean?_

_Wait._

_…_

_Oh._

**_Oh._ **

Robotnik almost choked on his drink as he went wide-eyed and bright red.

_...You’ve got some real stones, Stone, I’ll give you that._

“That’s… A little intimate, you think?”

Stone began to flush as well as the connotations of the situation seemed to just then hit him.

“Oh, er- I’m sorry, you’re right. I didn’t mean to intrude-”

“Hey, I wasn’t saying no. If you’re offering...”

_I may as well humor him. I’m hungry anyways, right? ...This doesn’t mean anything. This is a completely normal boss-employee thing to do. This absolutely doesn’t mean I’m reciprocating his advances. This is all part of the experiment._

The agent seemed to hardly believe what he'd just heard, as he appeared to run through all five stages of grief in a split second before he pulled a chair next to the doctor and grabbed one of the cups of ramen. Twirling some into a clump, he lifted the fork toward his boss. Robotnik took the bite in his mouth as he returned to his work.

As the pattern continued, it quickly became clear to the doctor that it was startlingly hard to focus on the task at hand under these conditions.

_Gah… I can’t work like this! How am I supposed to be productive when I’m being spoon-fed by my assistant-slash-romantic-suitor?_

_…_

_Oh no._

Upon a quick glance downward, it seemed that focusing on work wasn’t the only thing that was startlingly hard. That’s… Not what was supposed to happen.

_Dammit! I wasn’t supposed to be genuinely enjoying this!_

The software was all but a lost cause, at least for as long as these noodles last.

_...Well, this isn’t something that’s going to happen every day. I’ll pick the assignment back up later._

Many hours later, Robotnik lay staring at the ceiling in bed, thoughts racing through his head.

It was becoming evident that Stone’s efforts may not have been as one-sided as he’d thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> babe, it's the 25th! time for your monthly stobotnik feedism fic update!  
> *you all begrudgingly groan 'yes honey'*  
> i had. zero ideas for this chapter all month until like, last night when i got hit with a stroke of genius and started writing like the wind <3 on that note suggestions are very appreciated :3 you guys have been so encouraging i didn't expect this positive of a reception! if it werent for all this engagement i probably wouldn't have continued past the first chapter ksdjhdsk... good morning and incase i dont update again for months good evening and goodnight


	6. I Just Thought You Might Like A Latte

Fishing a keycard out of his pockets, Stone paced up to the entry to his and Robotnik’s shared offices. Fifteen minutes early, as usual. It had been a bit of a rush to make it at his usual time, considering his lack of sleep the previous night. He’d had quite a bit on his mind lately, and the previous day’s events simply added fuel to the fire. Swiping his card and pushing open the door, he took in the comfortingly hospital-like monotony of the doctor’s wing of the building. He’d found it a little intimidating his first few days on the job, seeing as how corporate buildings, though dull, aren’t usually quite this bleak. However, he quickly came to almost find humor in the repetitive dark gray walls and tile. He knew Robotnik was thoroughly committed to his malevolent brand, and as he looked closer he found it to more closely resemble an emo teenager’s idea of interior design than a shady clinic.

The agent was quickly snapped out of his rambling train of thought as he realized the light in the doctor’s lab was already on. An odd occurrence, considering that he was usually at his desk before Robotnik was even awake. He slowed his gait slightly as he passed the door, curious to see if he was even actually there and didn’t just leave the light on. Sure enough, there sat Robotnik curled like a shrimp over his keyboard.

_ He did say that he had an urgent assignment to finish... He must have catching-up to do. _

Stone resumed his speedwalking gait as he made his way to the kitchen to make his and the doctor's lattes. Goat milk, caramel syrup, cinnamon in the grounds, espresso goes in after the milk, flavor syrup last. The same way he'd made them for almost five years now. He'd never directly asked for the cinnamon, but he never finished a cup without it after he started adding it. It was like a special touch, in a way ensuring that nobody else made them like he did. Snapping on the lids, he grabbed both drinks and turned back to the lab. He knocked on the doorframe, alerting the doctor of his presence, before stepping in and wordlessly setting down his latte. Robotnik glanced up at him, giving a small nod of acknowledgement before returning to his work. As he turned to return to his own desk, he noticed the open bag of chips next to the doctor’s keyboard.

_ That’s quite the occurrence… He’s not usually one to eat while he works. But there’s no way he’s on to me, right? Offering to hand-feed your boss is a completely normal assistant thing to do. It's gotta be in the job description somewhere. _

Stone checked his watch as he paced across the hall to his station. Still had four minutes until his shift actually started. Not bad, considering his current record was eleven minutes. Sliding into his chair, he rested his chin in his hands as his computer booted up. Rescheduling meetings, telling those of lesser intelligence to take a long walk off a short pier as kindly as possible, spreadsheets upon spreadsheets within spreadsheets… Yippee. He’d learned quickly that secretary work was nowhere near his ideal career choice, but government agents get paid beyond well. He’d gotten a degree in engineering, so it’s not like he couldn’t have found a similarly-supportive job anywhere else, but he wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to work for the secret services having grown up on spy action movies. If it weren’t for Robotnik, he would’ve quit by now. Sure, he’s self-centered, demanding, and obviously maladjusted, but… There’s something about him that pulls him in. Under all that hatred of humanity, there’s clearly a desperation for approval and intimacy. And he wanted to be able to be the one to get through to him and provide it.

Three hours later, the agent’s watch buzzed as an alarm went off. Refill time. He took his own cup back to the kitchen and brewed another round of espresso. It was muscle memory at this point, he could do it with his eyes closed. He paused, before grabbing another bag of chips from the pantry for the doctor. Out the door, left turn, straight for 12 steps, left turn. He set the drink down to the left of Robotnik’s keyboard, same as always, and the bag of chips next to the now-empty one he’d had previously. Without batting an eye, the doctor split the plastic top of the bag and continued eating. 

_...I don’t think he even noticed I came in. _

The doctor had a tendency to be distracted easily, but when he was focused, he was  _ focused.  _ You could slap him square across the face and he wouldn’t even register what happened. Stone knew he would be lucky if he even heard a word from him until he was finished with whatever he was working on… He lingered in the doorway for a moment, turning his head to look at Robotnik once more.

_ Aban, stop watching him work. That’s creepy. _

He shook his head a little before returning to his computer. Three hours and fifteen minutes into the day and he’d only finished one of his assignments. He was similar to Robotnik in the fact that his attention could be easily grabbed by all the wrong things, and it’d been amplified exponentially these past few weeks. All the blood in his body had been perpetually occupying either his face or his dick, if not both, leaving very little for his brain. 

_ Did yesterday actually happen?He was so… Eager. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was actually enjoying it. What could’ve possessed him to let me do something so affectionate, especially at my suggestion instead of his own? ...He can’t be reciprocating. Big bad independant granite-hearted evil Robotnik, getting together with his doting lackey? The thought alone would for sure be enough to make him puke. It’s gotta just be one of his social experiments… If nothing else, at least I’m helping him collect data on the inner workings of sexual deviants or something. Enjoy it while it lasts, Stone. _

Two more hours, hardly any progress once again. Many thoughts, none of them with anything to do with his work. May as well refill the lattes.

Back to the kitchen, more espresso, heat up the milk, et cetera. And another bag of chips. Out, left, straight, left. He could walk this route in his sleep. To the agent’s surprise, Robotnik’s head popped up as he walked in the door. Evidently, he’d finished his work and was now playing the Chrome no-internet dinosaur game.

“Stone? What’s the issue?”

The agent stepped up to his desk, setting down the paper cup.

“Just a latte delivery, doctor.”  
“...And the Doritos?”

Stone realized in that moment just how odd it was that he’d suddenly brought food with the latte. He shrugged, smiling awkwardly

“Erhm… Cheesed to see you working so hard?”

Robotnik rolled his eyes as he stifled a laugh. One of his only weaknesses-- clever wordplay.

“It’s so obvious when you’re kissing up to me, Stone. If it’s a raise you want, talk to the commander. “

He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. 

_ Yeah… I’m sucking up to you because I want a raise. Not because I’m seriously in love and kind of lust with you.  _

In the heat of the moment, Stone quickly decided to take a partially-calculated risk.

“...I’m not after a raise, doctor.” His eyes darted between everything in the room except Robotnik’s gaze.

The doctor raised an eyebrow, and he could practically see the gears turning in his head.

“Then what the hell’s your prerogative? People aren’t just nice to one another for no reason unless they--” His eyes snapped wide as saucers as a key memory seemed to hit him like a sucker punch. “ _...Stonewouldyoubewillingtostayafterworkforawhile? _ ” Robotnik breathlessly choked out the stunned reply, as a wave of flustered heat washed over stone as the weight of the situation hit him.

“...Affirmative.”

This could go either very well or very,  _ very _ wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> URGHHHHH FINALLY *keels over dead*  
> i actually worked on this over the course of multiple weeks instead of bangin it all out at once at 1 AM wowza! that explains the much longer chapter and general better quality huh <3 hope it was worth the wait cus im real proud of this one! AND dig the fancy new title! finally... clever title for stobotnik feedism fic. hope you enjoyed cus it REALLY hits the fan next chapter we're getting to the meat of the story! thanks for sticking with me thru all this :3


	7. We're Are Makeing This Hanpen

Robotnik tapped the desk with a pen anxiously, staring blankly off into space with an indecipherable look on his face. Thoughts raced in circles through his head faster than he could put them into words.

_ My god, I didn’t think he’d actually do it! This is it, huh? Never did I expect to see the day where I’d actually have to acknowledge his stupid little crush on me… I mean, it’d been obvious from day one that he had some kind of thing for me, but I didn’t think that pushover would ever work up the guts to tell me himself. _

_...Now what? I was hoping he’d never make a move so I wouldn’t be faced with this ultimatum, but here I am, and now I have to decide if the feeling is mutual before 5:00 PM tonight. _

In any other timeline, the answer to his own question would be an emphatic ‘Entirely impossible’, followed by at least five more chapters of sexually-tense mutually pining antics and soul searching before he would come to terms with his own homosexuality. Unfortunately for his ego, he’d recently been forced to speedrun all of that in the span of about a week due to a series of increasingly embarrassing miscalculations on his part. As such, there was very little left for the doctor to deny… He did, in fact, have various feelings for Agent Stone. Not only that, he’d apparently been in some kind of love with him for quite a while now, because said feelings reached back far beyond the recent days’ events. Sure, they’d been significantly less prominent and more easily repressed, but it’d reached a sort of boiling point. Stone had been getting increasingly more forward with his advances this past week, which clearly signaled that he planned to directly confess soon. 

_ And what the hell am I supposed to do about that? I can’t just say no, because that’d be a giant lie and I know he can see straight through me by now. But if I accept, that means I actually have to outwardly confess that I’m a human being capable of experiencing emotions, which will be damn near impossible to do verbally without either getting defensive and hurting him or breaking down sobbing... But at the same time, it’s not like I have much to lose either way at this point. I may as well give him a chance. If nothing else, it’ll further my studies into the human psyche. _

Because that’s what Robotnik wanted to convince himself. Even after partially realizing his yearning for a genuine relationship, he wouldn’t let himself give up the defensive facade he’d spent decades cultivating. If he wasn’t an unfeeling machine, that meant he was vulnerable, and if he was vulnerable, he was weak. He could be taken advantage of. He’d been taken advantage of too many times to be willing to put down his guard like that. 

But… Part of him wanted to trust Stone. They understood each other, and he was the only person in his life he could say that about. He wanted to be able to settle down, at least mentally, and finally have something like a normal life. So much of his general resentment for humanity stemmed from his past, that he thought he’d been barred from a happy existence by the people who hurt him. The chance to experience at least part of what he’d denied himself out of spite, with someone like Stone no less, was promising. 

A hesitant knock on the door to the lab snapped the doctor out of his spiraling train of thought. He stared over at the door, breath caught in his throat.

"Come in."

Agent Stone apprehensively stepped in and up to his desk, staring at the floor the whole time and looking like he was about to pass out.

“...You wanted to see me?”

“Er, yeah.” Robotnik defeatedly covered his face in his hands and rested his head on his arms. “Goddamnit, how do I say this…? Ah- horrible timing. Hold on, I have to get this out of my system first-...” He grabbed the trash can next to him and gagged a few times, spitting out bile. The agent recoiled, jumping up and grabbing him a napkin.

“Holy shit- Uh, are you okay?”

The doctor wiped his mouth and took a sip of water

“I’m fine. Little known fact about me, I get sick if I’m too anxious. Anyway, try not to let that tarnish your possible response. I should spit this out before it gets a chance to start again. To be as concise as possible, I know about your crush on me and after a lot of deliberation, I think the feeling might be mutual.” He progressively hid his face further in his hands as he continued to talk, voice getting quieter. Stone almost choked on his own spit, stuttering in awe.

“...Are you serious?”

Robotnik raised an eyebrow, deadpan. 

“Do you think I’d dry-heave in front of you for a comedic bit?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you, to be honest.”

“...That’s fair. But, yes, I’m entirely serious.”

Sighing and wringing his hands, the agent finally met his gaze.

“Ok, yeah. You caught me. I’ve kind of been into you since the day I started working here. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d take it this well, let alone reciprocate… So what now?”

The doctor ran a hand through his hair, staring around the room.

“Frankly, I have no clue. I’ve never put much thought into something like this.”

“Well… It’s Friday, are you free tomorrow?”

“I have not once had weekend plans until now.”

“I’ll take that as a yes. I can text you my address, how does 5:30 PM sound?”

“...Yeah. Yeah.”

Nodding, Stone stood up and smiled brightly at him.

“I’ll see you then, doctor!” He walked out with a spring in his step.

For the first time in his life, Robotnik had somehow scored a date. 

Unfortunately, he had zero idea what to do about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate gay people /sarcasm  
> heeere it is! sorry for the extra long wait i. have not been doing the best lately but I'm getting better so! continue to work I did. date time :3


	8. Have You Tried The Never-Ending Pasta? It Never Ends!

Sitting on the armrest of the couch in his living room, Stone cycled nervously between staring at the door and checking his phone. 5.29 PM. Robotnik could be at his door at any second, and he still hadn’t quite convinced himself that this was an actual event that was happening. Throughout the past 48 hours he’d found himself pinching his arm and giving every clock he passed a double-take just to reassure himself that he wasn’t dreaming. He wrung the hem of his slate purple sweater between his hands in anxiety, his heart practically skipping every other beat.

_This is happening. This is real and happening. By some stroke of inconceivable luck and everything somehow happening in the right places at the right times, I have a date. With Robotnik. How am I supposed to nail this when he’s so… Extraordinary? Confident? Cooler than I’ll ever be? What if my clean apartment makes him think I have my life together and misleads him for what he’s signing up for? Maybe I should’ve left a little clutter out. I need to impress him without outdoing him because he’d absolutely take it as a challenge. Oh god, what if he judges me for using rotini in what was supposed to be a penne bake? He’s apparently never dated before this so it’s not like he has much to go off of, but he knows his worth. I’m still not sure why he’s bothering even trying to humor me… He insists he’s never really loved anyone, so why would he start with me?_

Stone’s heart dropped through the floor as he heard the doorbell ring.

_No! I’m still not mentally prepared for this!_

He shook out his hands, taking a deep wavering breath as he got up to answer the door, doing his best to smile and look somewhat calm.

"Doctor, you're here!"

Robotnik adjusted the collar of his knee-length black cardigan, smiling awkwardly.

"Er, you can drop the honorifics for now. Just Ivo is fine."

Stone blushed a little, his breath catching in his throat.

_...We’re really on a first-name basis? I don’t think I’ve ever even heard someone call him anything other than ‘doctor’, let alone Ivo…_

“Ah, speaking of honorifics! I don’t know how I hadn’t thought of this until now, but is this even… Allowed? Am I breaking some sort of contract by seeing you after hours?”

Robotnik scoffed, waving a hand.

“Oh please, I basically run our entire branch. If anyone tries to rat us out to the commander I’ll have their molecules rearranged into a can opener.”

Stone chuckled, still fidgeting with the cuffs of his sweater in anxiety.

"Well, good to know you've got it under control as usual. Anyway, uhm, come in!" He stepped aside as the doctor entered and slipped off his boots by the door, his face tightening as he looked around

“...You actually live like this?”

Stone almost choked on his own spit, eyes widening in shock.

“Pardon?”

Putting a hand to his temple, Robotnik gestured dramatically with the other.

“It’s so clean in here. Sure, your desk has always been puzzlingly immaculate, but I thought that was just for show! My god, you actually own a sofa and loveseat? I thought rooms only looked this put-together on the display floors of Ikea!”

The agent choked back a laugh, throwing a fist to his mouth

_What a Robotnik way to compliment someone’s interior decor._

“I’m flattered you think I could put together their furniture. If it’s of any comfort, this is probably the nicest it’s been in here since before I moved in. Well, I don't have Swedish meatballs, but I did make a pasta bake if you're hungry?"

* * *

Recalling the box of instant mac n’ cheese he’d eaten before leaving, Robotnik realized he’d made a slight calculative error.

_Well, dammit. I probably should’ve had the foresight to expect this from him… To be fair, if I hadn’t had anything and he didn’t make anything I’d be feeling comparatively worse than if I just have another bowl of pasta. Everything works out because I’m the opposite of underprepared!_

“Sounds good.”

He followed Stone to the table, sitting across from him as the other peeled a layer of tin foil off a pan and set a (comically?) large spoon to the side of it.

"There we go! Help yourself."

Robotnik reached over to the serving spoon, scooping some pasta into his own bowl and taking a tentative bite.

_Holy shit, that’s good. How did I not know he could cook until now? I swear, he’s good at everything… God, this is awkward. I hate having to eat where people can see me… Even if said people are probably enjoying it. Conversation! I'm probably supposed to say something right about now… What are you supposed to talk about over dinner? The stock market? It can't be too general, small talk is torture… Something specifically engaging enough to serve as a talking point._

"What's your opinion on speed-techno glitchcore DJ EstVs?"

_Too specific, dumbass!_

Much to his surprise, Stone's eyes lit up at the mention of the artist.

"For real? He's one of my favorite musicians! Man, he forever changed the way I’d eat peanut butter out of the jar."

He smiled, partially in reply to Stone and partially to himself.

_Sometimes my intuition surprises even me._

“Ahah, I had a feeling you were a man of taste!”

Just as the doctor was beginning to feel confident in the situation, his thought process was interrupted by the feeling of his fork scraping the bottom of an empty bowl. In his attempt to find something he could lead a casual conversation about, he had completely zoned out and finished his serving in a solid 5 minutes. He briefly wondered if he had even chewed.

_Come on, and he’s not even halfway done with his! I was past being comfortably full about 12 bites ago, but what am I supposed to do? Sit twiddling my thumbs and staring him in the eye while he nibbles at his like a rabbit? It’s not like another scoop would make a difference at this point... This better not awaken anything else in me._

He reluctantly piled another serving onto his plate and attempted to refocus on the conversation, trying his hardest to ignore the dull pressure in his stomach. 

"So what got you into his work?" Stone tapped his fingers on the table in thought, smiling excitedly. 

"It's kind of a funny story, actually! While I was abroad in Malaysia for college years ago, Brainrot was actually playing on the loudspeaker at a gas station. It was so surreal too, because it was like 2 AM and I was completely out of it, I just wanted a root beer really badly, and hearing that over the speakers of a dimly-lit corner store in the middle of the night blazed out of my mind was like getting sent to the freakin shadow realm. I recorded part of it because I didn’t even believe it was happening, and the experience stuck with me so clearly that weeks later I searched for the song and here we are." 

He laughed as he recounted the story, gesturing excitedly with his free hand. 

"My god, are you sure you didn't fever dream that?" he replied with a smirk, stifling laughter. 

"I'm serious! You can even look at his artist page on Spotify and it says most of his listeners are from Malaysia. I don't know what's with them and the breakcore genre." 

"It's called taste, that's what's with them," replied Robotnik, absentmindedly taking another forkful of pasta.

_...Oh, hey. It's gone. Again. You never really notice how fast you inhale your meals out of anxiety until you're in a situation where you're supposed to be eating slowly... And I was trying to pace myself this time, too! At least it looks like he's pretty close to done._

He set his fork down on the empty plate, pushing it away slightly. 

"I must say, I didn't think you'd be so adept at culinary science. You always struck me more as the type to... God, I don't know. Go to art galleries and stare at abstract pieces with an indecipherable look of deep thought on your face? Or something along those lines." 

Stone chuckled and grinned shyly, rubbing the cuffs of his sweater between his fingers for the umpteenth time Robotnik had caught that night.

_I guess he's better at suppressing his nervous tics in a work setting._

"Awh, thank you! Yeah, I actually do a lot of cooking and baking in my spare time, but I guess you wouldn't really expect it since I... Y'know, basically threaten people for a living," he laughed.

The doctor leaned back in his chair, attempting to take a deep breath only to wince involuntarily as he was cut off by a sharp ache in his stomach, and for it to hit him all at once just how absurdly full he was

 _Ow. Ow. Ow. That's... Not ideal. Ugh, how did I not notice this until now? I knew my habit of ignoring my physical needs would come back to bite me someday… Whatever. Even if he notices, he’d probably think it's hot or something. I am in_ complete _control of this situation and everything is fine._

Stone slid his chair back and stood up, and the doctor followed suit as the other man reached across to grab the empty plates and deposit them in the sink. He tried to move a little slower in an attempt to mask the world and a half of pain he was in, hoping to maintain at least a little nonchalance. 

“Speaking of EstVs, I have some of his albums on vinyl if you, er, wanna listen together?” proposed Stone bashfully, smiling awkwardly.

“Sounds good to me.”

He followed him to the other room, and sat cross-legged in a corner of the couch as he watched the agent pluck an album out of a record crate, slide the hot pink vinyl record out of its protective sleeve, and place it on the turntable. The ‘melody’ that dribbled out of the record player could best be described as the experience of dissociation condensed into an MP3 track.

_The sweet droning sound of chaos._

He leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling, exhaling deeply.

Stone paced over and joined him on the couch, crossing one leg over the other as he settled in. Robotnik chewed at his tongue as they sat in silence, taking in the pure auditory dissonance. The agent glanced briefly over at him, but did a double-take.

"...Are you okay?"

Robotnik lifted his head and turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

Stone sat up a little in concern, pulling his upper body partially out of the cushions.

"You had this sort of... Grimace, almost? I wanted to make sure you were doing okay."

_Oh man. Uh, play it cool? Or maybe not. Maybe this is flirting. Does he know that I know? ...Come on, it doesn't matter. Either way he'll probably internally lose it, and it's not like denial will do either of us any good._

"Yeah, I'm... Fine. Just ate too much is all."

To absolutely none of his surprise, Stone appeared to have a complete mental reboot at the admittance, jaw immediately clenching as he flushed. 

"Oh, er... Sorry, do you- do you want me to get some medicine or something?" The floor and everything else in the room except the doctor seemed to suddenly become extremely intriguing to the thoroughly flustered agent.

"No, I'm fine. It's nothing too bad."

_If you're a goddamn pufferfish, anyway._

"Alright. Uhm, just let me know, ok?" He nodded, returning to his position of staring directly at the ceiling.

_Popcorn tile, huh? Didn't think he'd be into more retro design like that._

Robotnik almost bit his tongue off in shock as he felt a warmth on his arm. His eyes darted toward Stone, who had scooted closer to him and was now leaning gently on him. He looked up and caught his gaze for a second, backing off. "Oh- sorry- uh, is this okay? I'm sorry, I should've asked first-"

"No, uh, yeah. I mean-... Yeah. It's fine."

Stone smiled gently, leaning back into the taller man. He rested his head on Robotnik's shoulders, and as he leaned back into him he could practically hear the other's heart beating a hole through his chest in contentment. 

The tune continued playing. He could feel the electronic melody permeating his entire being as he struggled to form a coherent thought in the presence of his assistant. This was something he'd felt before. This was something he'd been feeling for years, and it had come to a head. Here he was, on the couch in Stone's apartment, full of pasta in what he in retrospect realized was very much an attempt to impress him, and they were touching. Not like they'd never made contact in all those years, but it had something else to it. No amount of frantic arm-grabs or frustrated wall-pinnings could've prepared him for the paralyzing flutter in his chest upon the first affectionate contact he'd had with anyone since as long as he could remember. He concluded in that moment that he’d wanted it badly, very badly, his entire life. Contrary to what he’d believed for so long, he was apparently no exception to the hierarchy of basic human needs.

And then he felt the cushions shift slightly as an arm was wrapped around him, a hand coming to rest on his stomach. This time, he actually bit down on his tongue as his whole body clenched in shock and every profound insight he’d just been ruminating on slid out his left ear.

_I thought I said not to awaken anything else in me!_

Stone had repositioned himself to be half wrapped around him, and now had his face partially pressed into his coat, eyes having drifted closed. He was still awake, he could tell by his entire body still softly twitching in anxiety. He peeked an eye open, glancing up at Robotnik. 

"Yknow, uh... If you're still not feeling well, this'll usually help," he said sweetly, as he started kneading gently at the doctor's distended middle.

_Where the hell is he getting all this courage from lately?_

_...Sweet jesus, that's actually really nice._

Out of all the scenarios he'd stewed over and planned for to possibly happen, this is the one he'd entertained the least thoroughly.

_How did I even get here? And why am I actually liking this, all of this?_

At this point, he was on the brink of giving up on any maintenance of his usual cold, detached persona. He'd finally gotten some of the affection he'd subconsciously been yearning so deeply for, and he didn't really care about what form it came in. 

_He's probably having the time of his life,_ he thought to himself in a last-ditch offhand effort to contain himself, as if he wasn't also having the time of his life. What he really meant was _'holy shit, keep going, I feel like a stray dog at the humane society being pet for the first time.'_ But, tch, whatever, it's not like I'm loving this whole thing we've got going on or anything!

Almost involuntarily he arched his back a bit, pressing himself into Stone's hand. Seems he's not the only one who wasn't expecting this response. 

The agent's eyes widened a bit as he paused and went bright red, but he quickly caught on and pulled himself more stably upright to use both hands. He looked like he was about to start purring and fall deadweight asleep, eyes drifting closed in pure contentment. The display was almost jarring, in stark contrast to his usual defensive violence at even the suggestion of being touched. Adorable in the same slightly terrifying kind of way as a sleeping puma.

The record had long since finished, clicking rhythmically as it spun endlessly around the silent outro.

"...Doc- er, Ivo?"

Robotnik was jolted out of his half-asleep trance by Stone prodding at his side, trying to catch his attention. He sleepily opened an eye partially, looking over at him.

"...Hm?" 

"It's getting kind of late... 11 PM." He gestured to a wall clock opposite them. He was right.

"Ugh... Was I really out that long?" He leaned forward, stretching his arms out in front of him and cracking his wrists.

"Do you wanna stay the night? I could take the couch if you w-"

Robotnik rolled his eyes, scoffing.

“Were you not here for the past five hours? I don't think sleeping in the same bed is too much of a jump."

The agent laughed weakly, scratching at the back of his head.

"Yeah, ok... I just didn't want to be the one proposing it, I feel like I've been initiating too much." 

Tilting his head a little, Robotnik snickered quizzically. 

"Please. If I wasn't okay with anything I would've made it abundantly clear, you should know this about me." He glanced aside, his expression dropping to one of more bashful sincerity. "Though I guess I have been exploring further outside my comfort zone than usual lately."

* * *

Stone was awoken much earlier than he expected by the feeling of being squeezed with a vice grip by a pair of arms. Still fully asleep, Robotnik had rolled over from the other side of the bed and pretty much tried to crawl up the agent's shirt, settled firmly into the very little free space between him and the wall. Stone felt his face grow warm in the dark room, and cautiously wriggled an arm out of his grasp to wrap around him. Almost immediately, he felt the doctor hum in quiet satisfaction, burying his face into his sweater.

Seeing, well, experiencing him like this wasn't something he ever thought he'd get the chance to do. In any other situation, he was sure he'd be shot down immediately. In fact, had it been anyone else even simply suggesting a fraction of the hints Stone had been dropping all this time, he would've vaporized them with the nearest drone the moment he caught on... Actually, come to think of it, the doctor had always been more affectionate with him than he ever was to anyone else. Sure, he expressed his appreciation in exceedingly unusual ways, but in hindsight it was blindingly clear that he had been reciprocating, simply in the only way he knew how. He giggled softly, internally punching himself over his own obliviousness.

He'd put in all this effort trying to foster something that was there the whole time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TAKE IT GODDAMNIT.... so sorry about the extra long wait i've been in the middle of moving houses since the last chapter ^^" this is the longest meatiest juiciest chapter so far tho!! youd hope so cus it took two months to get out... and yes this is pretty much the last hurrah there'll be one more about the morning but its an epilogue essentially. enjoy! you guys have been so supportive i absolutely wouldnt have gotten this far without all your cheering me on... i love this fandom i love you guys <3 also yes half of this is a shameless promo for my friend's music stream estvs on spotify


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